Turn it off
by softerthanwords
Summary: What transpires after Damon kisses Elena at the end of The New Deal. A crappy description but I'm not totally sure where this story is headed yet so I don't want to give too much away. Please review, I love feedback!
1. Chapter 1

"Goodnight."

Elena's eyes followed Damon as he stepped off her porch and guided himself down her walk to his car.

Something was wrong. Her chest hurt, like she needed something. It occurred to her she hadn't taken a breath since before his lips met hers.

She gasped for air and slowly exhaled. Elena could feel the warmth of his lips on hers. Her fingers flew up to her mouth, checking to see if this was all real.

Elena fell back a few steps until her back met the porch railing.

"Elena?" Alaric called from inside. She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then wrapped her arms tightly around her body before going back into her home.

Alaric was standing in the hallway, looking into the kitchen calling her name. While his back was still turned, Elena dashed up the stairs taking two steps at a time.

"Oh Elena! There you ar-" Alaric said coming to the foot of the stairs. Upon seeing her face, his voice took a calmer tone. "Are you alright?""

"I'm fine Ric, I just want to take a shower and go to bed."

"If you need to talk... I'm here... You did the right thing tonight."

She nodded and continued to her bedroom where she shut and locked the door behind her. For one night, Elena needed to disconnect from everything- from everyone. Gripping the phone in her pocket, she found the power button with her index finger and turned it off. She crossed her room to the window, shut and locked it, and then drew the curtains.

Making her way to the bathroom, she stripped off her shirt and camisole, then her jeans, followed by her bra and underwear. She turned on the water, making it hot to the touch, and stepped into the shower.

Elena let the stream wash over her face. She closed her eyes and stood there, hoping it would numb her all over.

However, when she closed her eyes it wasn't to nothingness. The events of the day raced through her mind in bright flashes.

_The first flash was of Bonnie at the grill and of her best friend's sympathetic expression as she relayed her paranoia and fear. The unsettling feeling in her stomach as Jer recklessly invited Tyler Lockwood into their childhood home._

_Finding Jeremy's ring left behind on the table... The sound of her heartbeat as she rushed outside after hearing a car screech around the corner only to watch her younger brother stand stoically in the path of a speeding vehicle._

_Witnessing Alaric heroically shove Jer out of the way, only to be throw into the air before landing with a dull thud on the pavement._

_Stefan... Stefan's emotionless expression when she told him Klaus had set Jeremy in his sights. How the sweet man she once dreamed of spending her life with was lost to her. How she would never hear the same inflection in his voice when he talked to her or feel his gentle touch. He was gone._

_Tony standing in her doorway as Alaric lay on the floor bleeding out. She was helpless and completely alone in the world as she watched the EMTs climb back into the ambulance and slowly take off down her street. She couldn't protect the people she loved, just like the night when Klaus took Jenna's life, and the moment her parent's car flipped the guardrail and landed in the water..._

Elena's knees buckled and she sank to the shower floor. She pushed her knees up to her chin and buried her face in them. For the first time in a long while, she sobbed. The type of sobbing that makes your body shake, makes your chest ache, and makes you truly believe that nothing will ever be right again.

More memories raced through her mind._ The relief she felt as Tony fell revealing Jeremy behind him with a crossbow. Watching in horror as her baby brother grabbed a knife and cut off the hybrid's head to save the only family he had left._

_Elena thought about how she kept her voice from shaking when she told Klaus that she had been the one to dagger Rebekah. How a chill traveled down her spine as she turned around and left him in the Salvatore basement with his sister's body._

_The blank expression in Jeremy's eyes as Damon compelled him to believe everything would be alright as long as he left Mystic Falls far behind. How she would miss all of the milestones in his young life._

_And then, the porch... Damon's guilt... Her guilt... For wanting what he wanted. Knowing in her heart of hearts, even if she could not utter it aloud, she was no longer his brother's girl... That in many ways she no longer wanted to be. A door had closed on that part of her life._

_And Damon, gently cupping her face with his cool, soft hands and bestowing a kiss on her so softly fearing she would pull away. It sent her to a calmer place, where bad things did not happen to good people. Where she could forget who she was and where she came from. She didn't know someone's touch could do that, that they could cause the walls around her heart to crumble into fine sand at her feet._

_But she couldn't feel that for him... It was not right..._

She stood up and washed quickly, watching the red tinges on palms fade into the drain.

She stepped out, dried off, and dressed in a pair of purple pajama shorts and a tank top. She brushed her teeth and combed out her hair. She began to walk into the other room when on second thought she decided to take one of the sleeping tablets prescribed to Jeremy after her parent's accident. She needed one, just one, dreamless night. She washed the blue pill down with a large glass of cool water before climbing into bed and turning off the light.

Closing her eyes, she could only see one person's face- Damon's.

_For one moment she would let herself say what had been in her heart and on her mind for months..._

"I love you Damon." She confessed so quietly she could barely hear it over the breeze rustling the trees outside her window.

_But no, she would not allow herself to feel that. Not for him. The last man she loved lost his humanity because of her. She would not allow this to happen to Damon. Not ever. Damon had suffered enough and she would not add to it. She would love him silently. She would not be the bearer of more pain for him._

_She would turn it off._


	2. Chapter 2

-Thank you to everyone who read my story, made it a favorite, or reviewed it. This is my first story with Fan Fiction and it's been a fun experience so far. I would love more feedback, please don't be afraid to leave comments, even if they only serve constructive purposes.-

"I love you Damon."

Damon's eyes flew open and he nearly launched himself out of bed. He was in his room at the Salvatore boarding house. Bright sunlight infiltrated the drapes and nearly blinded him to the day.

He put his hand over his eyes and laid back down, nestling his head in the pillow trying to make whatever he was dreaming about come back.

All he could remember was Elena's face and her voice, "I love you Damon." A playful smile appeared on his face as he ran his hands through his hair before sitting up again. He swung his legs over the bed and put his feet on the cold floor boards.

Today was different. He had kissed Elena. Elena Gilbert. And no one, not anyone, could take that away from him. In that moment, it was just them and as much as Elena may try to take it back, she kissed him too. He was sure of it. He felt at peace for the first time since... He couldn't really remember.

He took the towel hanging on his bedpost, swung it over his shoulder and headed to the shower.

* * *

><p>Elena strutted down the hallway of her high school with a spring in her step. She reached her locker and spun the dial around to enter her combination.<p>

"Elena..."

She knew that she could never reciprocate her feelings for Damon but just having one moment with him was enough. She giggled softly remembering how Damon, in his impulsive way, was halfway down her porch before he decided to turn around and kiss her. It surprised her how just one kiss could make her forget yesterday's events, or at least make them bearable.

The combination wasn't working; she spun the dial back to zero and began to enter it one more time.

"Elena!" She turned her head to find Caroline behind her with a quizzical expression on her face.

"Hi- What's wrong?" Elena said startled.

"That's not your locker, it's mine!"

"No, it's not. It's mine," Elena said checking the locker number- _215_ and then it dawned on her.

"Yeah, last year! Your locker is on the other end of the row now, next to Bonnie's. What has gotten into you, you looked totally dazed. Did you find some of Jeremy's old stash and take a hit? I know things have been rough lately but really Elena, if things are that bad then maybe you should talk..."

"It's fine, Caroline. Sorry, just a little out of it this morning."

"Hey, guys- What's up?" Bonnie said joining the group.

"Elena thinks it's junior year again," Caroline said opening her locker and throwing some books in her bag into the bottom compartment.

"Pick another year, I almost died like five times," Bonnie retorted.

Elena shook her head and rolled her eyes. She loved her girlfriends but sometimes they could be too much. Bonnie studied her best friend's face and smiled.

"_Caroline..."_ Bonnie said. Caroline turned around. "...Elena looks happy."

"Oh my god, you're right. Is that what the goof was about?" Caroline said slamming her locker shut.

"What goof?" Bonnie said stepping closer to Elena and bumping her gently in the shoulder with her hand. Elena giggled.

"Holy crap Bonnie, she got some!" Caroline exclaimed. Elena snapped to and realized that revealing too much could put the people she loved in danger.

"Elena you have to spill. It's been weeks now since I've been with Tyler and who knows the last time Bonnie has gotten down with anyone."

"Watch it vampire blondie."

"It's vampire Barbie and de-spell my daylight ring why don't you."

"I don't know what either of you are talking about." Elena said defensively. "I have to go or I'm going to be late for math." She brushed past the two and walked quickly down the hall hoping they wouldn't follow.

_You cannot, under any circumstances, make known what happened last night or you will just be putting yourself and everyone you care about in danger. To do anything less than keeping your mouth shut is truly selfish._

Her phone beeped. Taking it out of her pocket, she found a text from Alaric. "Meet me and D at MG after school 4 strategy session #1,000,006."

Elena sighed; knowing shutting her emotions down would not be as easy as she hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena sat at a table towards the back of the grill waiting for her two co-conspirators to arrive.

Damon arrived first and didn't notice her. She took a moment to turn away and compose herself.

"Hello Elena." Damon said softly sliding into the seat across from her.

"Hi Damon." She folded her hands neatly in her lap before looking up at him.

He smiled at her so warmly, as if he had been saving it just for her. She looked down at the table

"We should probably talk before Ric shows up," she said.

"That's a _great_ idea." He reached over to hold her hand under the table. She pulled away quickly and looked up at him. His eyes widened clearly hurt. He put his hand on top of the table and let it form a soft fist.

"Damon," she started. Elena took a deep breath and recited what she practiced in her bathroom mirror that morning.

"I meant what I said last night, I'm so grateful you're here and I have no idea what I would do without you... But it wasn't an invitation for you to kiss me. You caught me by surprise and I let my guard down..."

She took a beat and looked into his eyes. Her speech was working; his head was tilted down and to the side taking in every word she was saying. His knuckles were white and his jaw was set so hard she could see an outline of every muscle in his face. She kept going, no sense in stopping now.

"I don't know how many times I have to say this... It will_ never_ be you Damon, not even if Stefan left for good. My feelings... have not changed. I am no one's girl, not Stefan's and certainly _not_ yours. Please... _Please_ put the idea of you and me out of your head and move on. I don't want to lose your friendship but _I will_ let it go if this keeps happening."

Damon stared at her angrily from across the table. He got up and slammed the chair back into the table before moving to the seat next to her and sitting down. He leaned in so close she could smell his aftershave, the smell was intoxicating. He put his mouth so closely to her ear the heat radiated from his lips.

"Elena I've said this before and I will say it again. You are lying to me and more importantly, you're lying to yourself. You may not love me as I love you but those feelings are there. They're strong and_ no_ amount of rehearsed garbage will take away what we had last night."

Elena, playing the part she had chosen for herself, leaned back in her chair and asked, "Are you done yet?"

Damon blue eyes searched hers for some hope and unable to find it, shook his head in disbelief. She hoped the stern expression on her face masked the heartbreak she felt.

"Oh look Alaric is here," she said pointing to the figure that just walked in the door, completely dismissing Damon. "Ric! Over here!"

"Hey…guys," Alaric said clearly understanding he had walked in on an awkward moment. There had been many of those between the pair in the last few months.

"Damon, can you fill Elena and me in on what happened with Stefan yesterday?"

"_Yes, sure. My pleasure_..." Damon said sarcastically while staring at Elena for more than a moment before focusing his attention on Ric. "Stefan has opened up a small funeral home in our childhood home. He stole the coffins to get even with Klaus. He didn't save Klaus because he's on his side; he saved Klaus to save me. If I had killed Klaus at the homecoming party, then his hybrids would have killed me. Stefan found out about it before everything went down that night."

"What! Wow, ahh... I don't even know what to say. So... Is Stefan _back_?" Ric asked not knowing what the answer should be with everything transpiring between Elena and Damon.

"No." Elena said. "I wouldn't count on him coming back anytime soon either... So tell us _Damon_, what _IS_ the plan then?"

"Well, _Elena_... Stefan discovered that one of the coffins will not open. He is working with Bonnie to figure out what's inside it. We figure that if it won't open it's probably for a reason and it's most likely something that we can use to weaken him."

"That's your plan... Really… _Weaken_ Klaus? You're hedging your bets on a coffin that won't open? And you're pulling in my best friend? What do you need her for? WD40 the lock and get it open."

"Elena! _Really_..." Alaric said harshly in response to the tone she took with Damon.

"Well it's not the best plan ever but it's not the worst. We need to know why it won't open before we deal again with Klaus- there could be something there," Damon said defensively.

"I'm with Damon, Elena..."

"Fine!" Elena said. "So how are we going to keep Klaus occupied while we figure out what's inside the coffin? Yesterday, he almost killed you and Jeremy. He's not exactly patient."

"I have an idea." Damon said hesitantly. "We could give him back one of the bodies for the time being if he gives us something in return..."

"Or..." Alaric began, interrupting Damon. "We could make him think he's getting back one of the bodies. Maybe we could get Bonnie to set a spell that would activate once he opened up the coffin that could trap or stop him somehow until we figure out how to defeat him."

"I like it. We just need to get Bonnie on board." Damon said, nodding in agreement with Alaric

Elena signed, "I'll text her and ask her to come over."

Bonnie arrived fifteen minutes later and like Alaric, spied the tension between Damon and Elena almost immediately. No witchy-sense needed.

With the help of Alaric, Damon explained to Bonnie their budding plan and her role should she choose to accept it.

"I don't know if I could cast a spell powerful enough to stop him even for a second... I would need to consult gram's spell book and then I would probably need to modify the spell to suit our needs..."

"What about the spell you used on Katherine the night of the masquerade?" Elena posed.

"I don't know if it could work on a hybrid or an original and remember what happened last time? Elena, you almost became mincemeat," Bonnie said, bringing up the past.

"Yes of course I do but I healed and more importantly, I'm not his doppelganger."

"Could we try it on a hybrid first? To see if it works?" Alaric asked gesturing over to Tyler across the grill, who was playing pool with a few of his football buddies.

"He's practically Klaus's doormat, what makes you think for a second he would keep it from him?" Elena said.

"We could always compel him." Damon said. Alaric nodded.

"We have a plan, or at least the beginnings of one." Elena said. "Bonnie, how long till you can craft a spell strong enough to keep Klaus in one place for a little while?

"Give me a day, if I can't figure it out in twenty-four hours then I probably never will. Can we meet tomorrow, here, at the same time? Then we can try it on Tyler."

They all agreed to meet the next day. Elena, wanting to avoid being confronted by both Bonnie and Damon, grabbed her bag and jacket quickly and took off.

Five minutes later, she was making her way down Main Street, past town square, in the direction of her house, when she heard Bonnie yelling her name.

"Elena! Elena! Talk to me, what's going on." She said, running up to her.

"I can't talk about it right now Bonnie, please understand."

"No, Elena. Yesterday you're paranoid and scared, this morning you're giggling, and now you're inexcusably rude to Damon and by proxy, Alaric. What gives? I'm not letting you off the hook... Something happened last night, you looked happy this morning and then it all went away. What happened?"

Elena caved. "Alright, let's sit down. It's going to take a while," she had to tell someone, she couldn't keep all of this to herself, it was too much.

Elena told Bonnie about how her feelings for Damon had been growing for months. The kiss on Damon's deathbed... How she had retreated from the mountain when Stefan was so close just to keep Damon from being bit again by another werewolf... The conversation with Damon in her bedroom about remembering how she felt about him while Stefan was gone... How she wasn't even angry at Damon for releasing Stefan from the Salvatore basement... How she hoped to find Damon in her bed the night she told him that he would be the one to save Stefan... And about the stolen kiss the night before.

"Bonnie... I-I I think I love him. I'm sure of it. And I'm scared because every time I love someone they're put in danger. I don't want him to know, I don't want anyone to know. And I feel awful because of Stefan, at the end of last year I imagined spending my life with him and now I, I have those same hopes for Damon. And I'm scared to tell people because, he doesn't have the greatest reputation. I'm afraid people will be even meaner to him than they already are in an effort to protect me. God... Everything is just SO messed up." Elena exclaimed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "But promise me... _Promise_ me, that you won't tell, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, Klaus will find out and he will use it against me. He'll kill Damon without even thinking about it. "

"Nothing is easy when it comes to love in Mystic Falls, is it?" Bonnie said, reaching over to hold her friend's hand and to give it a reassuring squeeze. Elena shook her head.

"Elena... I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I'm crazy about the idea of you and Damon. He is certainly troubled and I'm putting it lightly... But he is in love with you, anyone with... or without a pulse could see that just by watching the two of you together. He would lay down his life for you and _has_ on numerous occasions... And..."

"Bonnie Bennett, are you saying that you approve?

"What I'm saying is... You're different when you're with Damon. Damon and Stefan are a lot alike. They're both brooding, both have been through a lot, both have sought some sort of redemption... Stefan, more so, obviously... But Damon, no matter the situation, can always find the humor in it. He always manages to have fun. And when you're with him, so do you. He brings out a side of you; I don't think that Stefan could. He challenges you too. I can't explain it but you try harder when he's around, in a good way. I don't want to see you just survive anymore Elena, I want you to live. You live when you're with Damon."


	4. Chapter 4

-Super excited, just wrote the last chapter. For all you Delena addicts desperate for a love scene, I think I have one that is going to blow your socks off so again, stay tuned for the last chapter. Now some of you are going to be upset with the fact that I have a Stelena moment in this chapter. I'm not a Stelena fan but I don't think it would be appropriate for Elena to move from one brother to other without some sort of closure. Stelena, at the very least, deserves that. In many ways, if Elena just switched and went to Damon she would be no better than Katherine.-

* * *

><p>Damon entered the Salvatore boarding house completely shattered. He took off his jacket and let it fall to the floor before stepping into the library and pouring himself a large glass of bourbon.<p>

_It will never be you Damon_, played like a broken record in his head.

He didn't want to believe it- couldn't believe it really, but it was the way she dismissed him and the stern expression on her face as she did it that convinced him. Elena Gilbert would never love him. Not now, not ever.

_Elena is honest and loyal_; he couldn't believe how stupid he was for believing even for a second that she could ever move on from Stefan. She had already rejected him countless times and this was no different. She cared about him but it was nothing more than what one friend feels for another.

"Then what have we been doing the past four months?" Damon yelled to no one before chucking his glass against the wall. He collapsed on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

He spent the next few hours obsessing over every interaction they had in the last few months. He went up to his room and laid on his bed, all of the various scenarios swirling around his head. It cut him deeply to admit it to himself but he realized that every interaction they had since the summer, that could be deemed as romantic, was ultimately initiated by him. He finally had clarity.

_She kissed me because I was on my deathbed and she pitied me. I was the one who demanded she tell me why she wanted to leave the mountain so badly. I made her say it was because she was concerned for my safety. She probably said whatever would get me to leave._

Self-loathing began as he thought about all the times he entered her bedroom, rifled through her drawers, and laid on her bed without even bothering to ask for her permission.

_I took advantage of her desire to learn how to protect herself by sneaking my hand under her shirt to show her the way to a vampire's "heart." _That's not what he had originally intended but that's probably how it seemed to Elena.

He hated himself.

_I insisted on applying first aid to her face after the bonfire, she was only interested in my conversation with Rebekah because of my penchant for going after women who bring out my dark side. She probably saw Katherine 2.0 in Rebekah and feared me going on another bender. I was waiting in her bed the night after I let Stefan out of the basement. Elena had one opportunity to help Stefan detox, thanks to Lexie, and I destroyed it. She's terrified of me and why shouldn't she be, I'm a monster. _

"I'm not good," he said aloud.

He could make it up to her though, by keeping his distance, by respecting her boundaries, by doing whatever he could to defeat Klaus, and bring Stefan home. He would be a good friend to her and he would ask nothing in return. Ever. She deserved that much.

He heard the front door open and close.

"Stefan, we need to talk." It was Elena and Stefan, he jogged to the top of the stairs when it occurred to him that going downstairs and invading their privacy was not being a good friend. However, he was not so reformed by his brooding session that he could walk away and not listen. He stood there, listening to every word.

* * *

><p>"Stefan, we need to talk," Elena said, shutting the front door behind her and standing in the front entryway of the Salvatore boarding house.<p>

Stefan leaned against the side table in the foyer setting down his keys.

"Go away Elena, I don't want you here."

"And yet, here I am-"

"When are you going to get it through your head that I don't want you anymore?" He yelled angrily as he turned around, rushed to the spot in front of her, and pointed his finger in her face. Shocked, Elena took a step back and waited a moment before speaking to compose herself.

"You aren't going to get rid of me. Ever. I care about you and nothing you can do will ever make the way I feel about you go away. I love you, Stefan."

"Well then you're an idiot to love a man who feels nauseous at your presence."

"No, you're the idiot to think that I'm still _in love_ with you. I'm not, I've seen too much now. I love you like a friend. Despite everything that has happened, you're still my _friend _Stefan. I love you, Damon loves you even if he won't admit it, you have _so many people_ who care about you. Don't give up now."

"I can't afford friends."

"Well suck it up because we're here and we're not going anywhere. Hopefully, this plan will put us one step closer to defeating Klaus, once he's gone the compulsion will break and you can begin to put your life back together again."

"WHAT LIFE ELENA? I have been a freaking _high school student_ the past year. I'm _163 years old_ and a VAMPIRE. My best friend is dead. I'm a MURDERER. There is nothing to go back to. When the compulsion breaks, I'm gone. I'm leaving Mystic Falls forever."

"The Stefan I knew wouldn't run away like a coward. He would face his problems head on."

"God, you're SO stupid and naive. You really are a dumb high school girl. The Stefan you know is never coming back."

"If having hope makes me stupid, then so be it. _So be it!_ I'm here to help you when you're ready Stefan, as I said, we all are. Tomorrow we're meeting at the grill for a strategy session, come and join us when your pity party is over."

Elena left Stefan standing there and got back in her car to go home. She sat in her front seat for a moment and felt older all of a sudden, more together. Stefan had no hold on her heart anymore, she could love him like a dear friend without drudging up the romantic feelings she once had. Most importantly she knew she would be ok, if the Stefan she knew never came back. It was his decision to give up, not hers.

* * *

><p>Damon rushed back to his room and shut the door quietly as he heard Stefan trudge up the stairs, probably to grab something from his room. Damon pressed his ear against the wall, hoping to hear something. All he could make out was Stefan pushing around papers, opening and shutting drawers, he was looking for something. A few minutes later, he heard a slam. Stefan had left and once again, Damon had his home to himself.<p>

_Time for another drink._

_So she no longer loves my brother_. The selfish thought comforted him; at least he didn't have to watch them go from broken up to back together in the blink of an eye.

_Maybe I have chance. _That one glimmer of hope kept him coming back for more all this time.

_I've seen too much now._ Elena's words, again, played on repeat in his head.

_She is 18 years old,_ he thought_. And she's already seen too much death, suffered immeasurable loss, experienced untold pain. I would only add to that. I can't guarantee her a safe life by nature of who I am. I will always be in danger and by proxy, so will she. _This thought sobered him._ She could never get to the business of living if she was always looking over her shoulder._


	5. Chapter 5

"So I think I figured out a way to keep Klaus contained until we figure out a way to kill him...," Bonnie whispered. Damon, Alaric, and Elena leaned forward at their table in the back of the grill to hear how she planned to do it. She looked at the three of them and smiled.

"... Bonnie, I hear crickets where a plan should be. Care to share?" Damon asked.

"Chill Damon... Go on Bonnie," Alaric said in defense of not only Elena's best friend but one of his favorite students.

"Alright, for this to work I'm going to use three spells," she said pulling her spell book out of her messenger bag and flipping it open to a bookmarked section.

"The first spell is the one used on Katherine at the masquerade. I thought that I would need to try the spell on a hybrid to make sure it would work but I'm convinced that it won't be a problem after some light reading on werewolf lore. The second spell is what the witches are using to hide the coffins from Klaus. I will cast the same spell on Klaus so in the event his minions come looking for him, they won't be able to find him. I'm also going to cast a third spell on the casket. When Klaus opens it he will be stunned for a matter of minutes. This will give me enough time to cast the first two spells."

"Why can't you just cast a spell on the room itself so all we have to do is lure Klaus there... We got Katherine there no problem," Damon said.

"Because Klaus is not Katherine, he's much smarter. He won't come easy so we can't just plan on luring him to one spot and have it work. We have to be flexible," Elena hypothesized.

"Right, because when have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose," Alaric stated matter-of-fact.

"I also thought about casting the containment spell on a large area but that's a problem too because this magic has been known to backfire and trap anyone with supernatural capabilities in certain range," Bonnie said.

"Alright, so we have to get Klaus to come to us and keep him there long enough so that you can do your witchy juju."

"Not the words I would use, but yes Damon, that would be the plan," Bonnie said.

"I bet if we promise to give him the casket we can't open, we'll get him to go anywhere we ask... He's pretty desperate at this point."

All four heads whipped around at Stefan's voice. He stood there with his hands buried deep in his front pockets.

"Hi... Elena said there was a strategy session. I thought I should be here." Stefan said.

"Of course... Stefan, pull up a chair." Alaric said, clearly being the only real adult of the group.

"I should probably be the only one present when Klaus arrives; you all should stay hidden until the casket does its job... Klaus is volatile and unstable right now; he could lash out and kill anyone just because he feels like it," Stefan said.

"I don't think so brother. You're #1 on his vampire most wanted list, he'll kill you because you stole his family and he doesn't want to find out what else you are capable of," Damon retorted."It should be me. I'll say I've been bitten by another werewolf and need his blood. I'll contact him myself and arrange the meeting. I'll tell him I stole the coffin from Stefan and that I'm acting by myself. That way he won't think it's strange if I'm there alone. I have something he wants, he has something he thinks I want and... He knows I have nothing else to lose."

Alaric furrowed his brow not quite knowing what the last bit was about.

"And what if he tries to hold you hostage Damon or worse, kill you?" Elena blurted. All eyes rested on Ms. Gilbert who looked beside herself. Damon's heart pounded knowing she still cared about him and that the kiss hadn't destroyed their friendship.

"I will be set up before Klaus arrives so that I can cast the spell as soon as he opens the casket. And he'll want to open it before he goes anywhere to make sure Damon made good on his end of the bargain." Bonnie said to reassure her best friend.

"And if he holds me hostage and Bonnie performs the spell at least we'll know who will be on Klaus duty until someone figures out how to kill his original ass. And, I've already died once. Wouldn't be the first time," Damon said.

"Alright, you can be the one to lure him but if he takes you hostage I'm going to be there so I can use myself to leverage your release," Stefan stated.

"Done." Damon said.

Forty minutes later, tomorrow night's events were set in motion. They would lure Klaus to an old barn located on the edge of the Salvatore plantation. There was a root cellar in the barn few people knew about where the casket would be waiting. Klaus would be hard to find if trapped there. Alaric and Stefan would be ready with crossbows and stakes in the hayloft in the event Klaus tried to leave with Damon and/or the casket.

Bonnie and Elena would be hidden behind a built-in bookcase in the root cellar that had another set of stairs leading outside. In the event Bonnie had to improvise, the bookcase could swing open so she could help Damon and Elena could go back into the barn to warn Alaric and Stefan. It wasn't a perfect plan but they had exhausted all their other options.

* * *

><p>Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan left leaving Damon and Alaric at the bar drinking. After Damon's fourth glass of bourbon, Alaric had to ask the question.<p>

"So do you want to tell me what is going on between you and Elena?"

"I kissed her. I thought she kissed me back. And then she rejected me. Again. Emphasis on again," Damon said summarizing what happened before finishing his drink and ordering another.

Alaric didn't know what to say. He felt responsible for Elena, her safety, and her happiness now Jenna was gone. He knew what Damon was capable of, but he also knew his love for her changed him, especially over these last few months. Alaric also wasn't entirely convinced Elena did not reciprocate Damon's feelings.

"I'm sorry, Damon," was all Alaric could muster at the moment.

"You know what I don't understand? Stefan... _Stefan _turns into a dick and he's gone for months. MONTHS. She wants to learn how to fight to protect herself from him. He let her get turned into a _human blood bag_, and she _invites him_ to our strategy session. She could forgive him for anything..."

"Elena is a very loyal girl. She doesn't give up on people even when she wants to. As I recall, there were several times last year she said she would never speak to you. As far as I can tell, you're the only person she really talks to now..."

Damon put down his drink and shrugged his shoulders.

"I hear you man, Gilbert women are a complicated bunch," Alaric said. Damon realized it was the first time his friend had mentioned Jenna or Isobel in months. He nodded at his friend appreciatively for sympathizing.

"Crazy, more like it. I spend the last four months saving her life every time I turn around and she dangles our friendship over my head because of a kiss. Stefan goes on a bender and she invites him for coffee hour at the grill and acts like everything is normal."

"Hang in there," Alaric said standing up. He dropped some money on the bar and gave Damon a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "I have to go grade 40 subpar papers on_ The Scarlet Letter_... Damon?"

"Yeah, Alaric?" Damon said spinning his barstool to face him.

"Stefan offered to put himself in harm's way twice tomorrow... And Elena said nothing, she did nothing. You offer to meet with Klaus and she's concerned about you being held hostage, you dying, and whatever scenario that could potentially play out... As a matter of fact she didn't say anything about me or even Bonnie being in danger, just you... It's not Stefan that Elena's in love with; I can assure you of that."

"And there's that hope thing again Alaric that keeps me coming back. I'll see you tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

The co-conspirators met at 7pm on the dot at the barn. Stefan and Damon arrived last, hoisting the coffin over their heads. Damon had successfully contacted Klaus who was more than willing to cooperate and meet him on the Salvatore property. Damon told Klaus that a condition of him getting the coffin back was that he must come alone. Klaus agreed too quickly, making Damon believe he wouldn't keep his word.

At 7:45, all parties took their places. Alaric and Stefan in the hayloft with enough stakes, Vervain grenades, and crossbows to outfit a small army. If Klaus brought back up or tried to get away, the duo would start the assault from above taking their enemy by surprise, before hitting the ground and hopefully taking the situation back under control. Elena and Bonnie hid in the crawl space behind the bookcase. Bonnie lit a few candles so they could see and set up the supplies she would need to cast the spells necessary to contain Klaus. Damon was ready in the root cellar, leaning on the coffin as if he didn't have a care in the world.

* * *

><p>"Bonnie, I don't have a good feeling about any of this," Elena confessed in a whisper.<p>

"Well as Alaric said yesterday, our plans never go... as planned... You have a right to be worried and you're in love with the guy in the next room risking his life," Bonnie said.

"Lower your voice, he could hear you!" Elena gasped.

"Sound blocking spell Elena. Chill," Bonnie retorted, pointing to her ear. "But if I were you, I would say something to him. You haven't exactly been... kind... the last few days. If anything did happen to him, you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself. You don't have to tell him that you love him, but let him know that... you care."

Elena felt harsh pangs in her chest, knowing that Bonnie was right. She didn't want to distract Damon from the task ahead of him but she had to say something.

Pushing the bookcase open, she stepped into the root cellar. She wrapped her cardigan tighter around herself and stepped forward into the candlelight.

"Elena, you shouldn't be here, go back," Damon said coming towards her, taking her arm gently, trying to guide her back to the hiding space.

"No, Damon," she said shaking her arm loose. "I need to say something to you." Damon gulped, looking down at her beautiful face. She had a few strands of hair in her face and he longed to tuck them behind her ear. In the candlelight, she looked ethereal.

"I just want you to know that despite everything that has happened lately..." She knew that mentioning the kiss would make her break. "...You still matter a great deal to me and I'm sorry I told you that I couldn't be your friend anymore. That hurt you and I'm so sorry. Please, please take care of yourself," she said taking his hand in hers and holding it for dear life.

"I will... Thank you," Damon said, pleasantly surprised. They heard steps on the stairs. Damon flipped Elena around so that her back was facing him and placed his hand over her mouth. He ushered her forward, opened the bookcase, and gently pushed her inside. Elena and Bonnie kept the bookcase slightly ajar so they could hear into the root cellar.

* * *

><p>"Nicklaus, good to see you. Do you ever get Santa Claus jokes with your first name being his and all?" Damon asked, hoping his adversary hadn't seen Elena.<p>

"Damon! Has anyone ever told you humor is a coping mechanism?"

"Dr. Original is in folks, time to get out the shrink couch."

"Where's the coffin?" Klaus said, dismissing Damon's last comment entirely. Damon motioned over to the back wall of the cellar where it stood.

"Ahh, perfect. So the werewolf bites are killer, aren't they?...Where's Stefan this time? The last time this happened your brother lost everything to save you."

"He's on a bender in Atlanta." Damon replied curtly. Even though he wasn't the biggest fan of his younger sibling at the moment, he didn't like Klaus talking about him like this. No matter what happened, Stefan saved his life, twice now, and he wouldn't forget it.

"He always did love populated areas for a late night snack... Speaking of your brother losing everything to save you, where is Elena?"

"Not here," Damon said. "Give me your blood and take your coffin."

"Hmmm, not surprising. She wouldn't put herself in danger for _you_... She is beautiful, isn't she? I wonder if she's as good in the sac as the woman she's made after. Maybe I should find out... Compulsion is _so much fun_," he said clearly trying to get a rise out of Damon.

Damon's blood boiled and the veins around his eyes went red with fury. His fangs pressed against his tongue.

"That's gotten your knickers in a twist, Mr. Salvatore. She's your weakness, isn't she? In love with your brother's girl. My, my." Damon said nothing in response to Klaus's comment. Klaus dropped the subject for a moment and walked over to the coffin. He put his hands on the casket as if to lift the top but then he stopped.

"So you never told me. How _did _you manage to get bitten by another werewolf? It's been almost twenty-four hours since you contacted me to meet, you should be more far gone by this point."

"Good constitution, I guess...," Damon said realizing Klaus was stalling and wondered why.

"It was Stefan, wasn't it?" Klaus demanded. Damon shook his head, confused.

"Stefan is the one who was bitten! You're doing this to help him. I know my old wingman well; he's far too stubborn to give up the coffins he's worked so hard to protect... Unless, he was dying."

"You've grown paranoid in your old age, Klaus. Why does it even matter? You're getting a coffin back," Damon knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth he had said the wrong thing.

"Why does it matter? I could just let your brother die and make you take me to where the coffins are. That would be one less Salvatore I have to concern myself with, it's a win-win for me..." Damon said nothing in response to Klaus's comment, unsure of how to maneuver the situation.

"I would miss my Salvatore wingman, but there are _two_ of you. How do you feel about the full moon Damon? Perhaps I should sire you right now and let your brother die. That Lockwood chap does everything I ask and once transitioned, you would lead me right to my family..."

"Over my dead body," Damon said quietly hardly able to contain himself, every fiber of his being was on edge, ready to attack.

"... And then, once I have you under my control and my family back, I think it would be time for me to do something to help myself relax. Perhaps a good romp in the sac. Elena would be an excellent escape if compelled... Though I do like a good struggle."

That was enough for Damon to lose all control and rush at Klaus. Damon flew across the room reaching for his neck, fangs bared, and eyes bloodshot, he had lost all control. He could not let this man live.

"Bonnie, we have to help him. Klaus is going to turn Damon!" Elena cried. All they could hear were the two vampires scuffling in the room next to them and punches being thrown.

"Damon, I could sire you or rip your heart out. Take your pick," Klaus yelled.

* * *

><p>"I'm going in Bonnie, get the others!" Elena pulled out of her friend's grasp and pushed the bookcase open. Bonnie rushed up the stairs to alert Alaric and Stefan.<p>

"NO! Don't hurt him!" Elena begged before running at Klaus and jumping on his back.

"Elena, no!" Damon yelled taking his hands off of Klaus's neck to reach for her. Klaus took the opportunity to throw Elena off his back and shove Damon across the room. Damon's body landed on top of the casket, causing it to fall over. As it rolled, the top cover broke off releasing the spell to the only person in its immediate vicinity- Damon. He was paralyzed instantly, unable to move or talk. His eyes were open, locked on what was in front of him.

Elena struggled to get up having been thrown with the full force of an original vampire. Realizing that Damon tripped the spell and was paralyzed, she began crawling to his body. Just as she was about to reach him, Klaus came at the pair. He pulled Damon into the air, wrapped one arm around his neck, and punched his other hand through his chest.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip his heart out?" Klaus said gasping for air. Elena began crying as she reached for the man she loved from her spot on the floor.

"Because you're going to rip out mine," came a voice from behind them. Stefan descended the cellar stairs followed closely by Alaric and Bonnie.

"That is a tempting offer Stefan." Klaus replied not thrown at all by the change in events.

"Let him go," Stefan said quietly, dropping the stake in his hand and slowly stepping forward.

"I must say your plans have improved quite a bit since the twenties, Stefan. I'm impressed," Klaus said, clearly being sarcastic.


	7. Chapter 7

Damon eyes were locked on Elena. She sat helpless on the floor gripping her side, a small trickle of blood rolled down her forehead from just below her hairline. She stared at him with agony in her eyes, crying silently. She took the sleeve of her sweater and wiped them away. He couldn't see Stefan but he could hear him coming closer. He had to do something but wondered how.

"I must say your plans have improved quite a bit since the twenties, Stefan. I'm impressed," Klaus said, clearly being sarcastic.

"Well, it was actually a group effort planning this," Alaric said.

"And I'm sure the witch I tried so hard to kill had something to do with it," Klaus added.

"You better believe it," Bonnie responded.

"Nice spell by the way, sorry it didn't work on the right guy," Klaus said.

"Let my brother go, Klaus," Stefan repeated.

Damon felt something release inside him. He was slowly regaining control of his body. He could shift his eyes and feel the tips of his fingers move. The stake he took from Alaric's supply and put in his back pocket was still there. Thank god for tight jeans, he thought. If he had worn the baggy pants Stefan did, it would have fallen out when he was thrown.

"Come closer then," Klaus said.

"What are you after anyway?" Alaric said.

"My family, you idiot. Haven't you been paying attention?... And they let you teach young minds, such a shame."

"OK and then what?" Bonnie said coming closer. "You already have your minions- I mean, hybrids. Mikael is dead. Once you kill Stefan, then you get your family back. What else do you want?"

Damon could feel his feet and legs gain sensation followed by his shoulders. He was still weakened by the spell and having Klaus's hand wrapped around his heart didn't help.

"Let my brother go." Stefan added.

"Oh stop being such a broken bloody record Stefan. If I told you what I wanted it would ruin the surprise. Here's your stupid brother," Klaus said releasing his hold on Damon, pitching him forward with one hand as he grabbed Stefan with the other.

Parts of Damon's arms were still numb but he willed himself to grab the stake from his back pocket, turn around, and sink it into Klaus's groin. Stefan, seeing that his brother had regained control, threw an upper cut punch beneath Klaus's jaw sending his head backward.

"Ahhhhhhh," Klaus moaned as he fell to the floor.

"Everyone run!" Bonnie cried and put her hands out as she began muttering a spell under her breath. "Akunum barakata ohedum denait osku loka comis sa-"

Damon lost his balance and dropped to the floor. Alaric and Elena rushed to him and taking an arm each, hoisted him up, and made for the stairs.

As they ascended the stairs, Bonnie's voice grew louder. "ZONA MALAKI TIGUM USHTU..."

They kept running, and made it as far as the tree line. The three collapsed in a tall patch of grass, breathing heavily. Stefan stayed at the top of the stairs to ensure Bonnie got out.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon moaned still on his back staring up at the night sky, reaching for her. "This was all my fault; I let Klaus get to me."

She gripped his hand tight and turned on her side to look at his face. "I'm OK Damon, I hit my head but I'll be fine."

Alaric rolled over to face the two, "Damon, if Klaus had threatened to let my brother die and rape Elena, I would have gone postal too. He figured out a hole in our plan, you were doing what you thought was best."

"What spell do you think Bonnie was using? Why is taking so long?" Elena asked. The three stared at the barn waiting for their friends to appear. After a few minutes they did. Stefan and Bonnie ran across the field. About twenty yards away, Bonnie yelled, "WE DID IT!"

"WHAT?" Damon yelled completely shocked. Bonnie and Stefan closed in and collapsed in front of them.

"Damon staking him and Stefan punching him incapacitated Klaus long enough so I could perform the stunning spell. Once he was paralyzed I did the containment and invisibility spell. We did it!"

"Oh my god!" Elena cried crushing her friend with a giant hug and landing on top of her. Stefan sat up on his knees and laughed. Everyone stopped and looked at him oddly as he bent over laughing. Seeing and hearing Stefan laugh was contagious, a moment later Damon cracked and put his arm around his brother and join in.

"They say that some people have inappropriate reactions to stress," Alaric said who couldn't help but crack up too.

"Yeah nothing stressful about Mystic Falls," Bonnie said as she howled, making Elena start giggling.

After they had composed themselves, they set the next stage of their plan in motion agreeing to meet again in two days' time to strategize about how to kill Klaus. Alaric agreed to be on Klaus duty for the evening. Stefan took off to check on the coffins and make sure Klaus's minions hadn't found his hiding spot while their master was away. Bonnie insisted Elena go home to take care of herself after being thrown around. Bonnie and Damon would load up all the stakes, crossbows, and grenades into her car and take it back to the Salvatore Boarding House.

* * *

><p>"Good job Bonnie with the spells," Damon said to the witch he was often too hard on.<p>

"Thanks Damon," she said throwing the last of the stakes into the back of her Prius. Damon hoisted a box of Vervain grenades into the backseat and got in the passenger seat. Bonnie started the engine and accelerated down the unpaved road.

"Do you think Elena's OK?" Bonnie asked.

"I think so. She fell hard; you should probably go check on her after we drop everything off at my house."

"Check on her yourself," she responded smiling, shifting the car into another drive.

"Definitely not the right thing to do. I just got her friendship back; I have the tendency to act out when she's vulnerable. I misinterpret things. Bonnie, check on her," Damon said firmly. "She fell so hard, you should have seen it. I can't believe she jumped on his back, what was she _thinking_?"

"She was probably thinking that she would do anything to save the man she loves," Bonnie said letting the cat out of the bag.

"WHAT?" Damon yelled. Bonnie laughed, slowed the car and pulled it to the side of the road before stopping it.

"She loves you Damon. She told me. She told me all about the kiss and what has been going on between you two these last few months," Bonnie said undoing her seatbelt and turning her body to face him. Damon was stunned, his mouth hung open. "She's over Stefan. I mean, she's still confused about how to help him…But you're _the guy_."

"Why didn't she just tell me this? Why are YOU telling me this?"

"She was terrified Damon that you would get hurt. Remember what happened last time? Stefan got compelled to attack her and then lost his humanity. I think that justifies her lie. Doesn't make it right but nothing is easy in this town, especially love. She didn't want your love for her to get used against you, like it did with Stefan. She thought that if you knew she loved you, it would weaken you and distract you...," Bonnie let what she said sink in. Damon smiled, really smiled.

"... And I'm telling you this because... I don't hate you Damon... You're not my favorite, I can promise you that... You have your issues and you _need _to work on them but... Elena is my best friend and you make her happy... I told her this and I'm going to tell you this too. She's different when she's around you, you challenge her, she tries harder, and she really lives when she's with you. It's like having the pre-vampiregeddon Elena back."

"Bonnie "The Witch" Bennett, are you saying you approve of me?"

"Hardly but yes and if you do anything to lose my approval, like hurt my best friend, I WILL de-spell your daylight ring. I know how to do that now. "

"Point duly noted."


	8. Chapter 8

-A warning for all of you, this is very sexually explicit. If you're not into that, then don't read on. If you are, enjoy!-

* * *

><p>Elena stepped out of the shower and dressed in a short nightgown. Her favorite. It was purple with small flower cut outs on the edges and fell two inches above her knees. The nightgown had a sweet heart neckline held up by spaghetti straps.<p>

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. It was the first sincere smile in a while and it was because everyone in her life was safe; however impermanent that safety may be was something she chose not to acknowledge for the time being.

Tomorrow she, Caroline, and Bonnie would play hooky from school and head to the lake on the edge of town. They rarely had time for play anymore, tomorrow they would make time.

Elena walked back into her bedroom and sat on her window seat, staring out into the night sky. It surprised her that the stars could shine so brightly during a time of such upheaval and pain. In a way, it comforted her- the sun would rise in the morning and the moon in the evening. There was something permanent to depend on. Her mind shifted to Damon, he was alive. Klaus was not able to use her love for him against her. She was able to keep him safe, or at least she tried. Ultimately, they saved each other. There was still a hole in her heart however, she hated lying to him.

She leaned her head softly against the wall and tucked her bare feet beneath her. Her exhaustion caught up to her and within a few moments, she fell into to a deep slumber.

Elena woke a few hours later to a full moon high in the sky. She opened her window and took a deep breath of the sweet fall Georgia air.

"Hello, Elena..." Elena whipped around and stood up. Damon sat on the edge of her bed. He wore a dark blue button up shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans.

"Damon! What are you doing here?"

"For five minutes, just don't talk." He said quietly, as he stood up and walked towards her. Elena took a step back and collided with the window seat. She shook her head and put her hands out in front of herself in a feeble attempt to prevent the inevitable.

"Bonnie told me. She told me everything. Elena... I- You... You were trying to protect me and to me that means...," Damon could not form the words he needed so instead he gently grasped her hands in his own and brought them up to his chest where his heart was located.

"But you don't get to make decisions that break both your heart and mine, Elena. There will never be a time when everything and everyone in your life is a 100% safe, not even if there wasn't such a thing as vampires or werewolves or hybrids. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and just live your life without fear or regret."

He pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, Elena. I don't know when it started but I can tell you that loving you has changed me... Last year, you told me I shouldn't give up once I had begun to feel again, that pretending I don't care is giving up. Now I'm going to tell you, don't give up... Because I can't bear the thought of you pretending you don't care about me."

"Damon, no. We can't." She whispered softly, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Shhhh." He said calming her. "We can. I need to hear you say it." He implored her with the expression in his eyes to be honest. "Just say it, please."

Elena became lost in the blue and knew in her heart that he was right.

"I love you Damon." The words flew out of her mouth, like a bird searching for its nest.

Damon exhaled loudly as breathless as she was after he kissed her. He leaned his forehead against hers. His hands cupped her face. The expression in his eyes said more than words ever could. Elena placed her hands over his.

"I love you." She whispered it again. He closed his eyes, needing a moment to take it all in.

Elena rose up on her toes until her lips met his, hungry to touch him. Her kiss was hesitant, her lips barely brushing his. Damon wrapped his arms around her as she instinctively placed her arms around his neck. He silently lifted her into the air a few inches before putting her back down again. Damon's hands stroked her back as they kissed, his tongue flirting with hers. The callouses on his hands were divine against her soft skin and she wondered if this is what heaven was like.

Elena wanted to become lost in him, in this moment. Her fingers rose to his collar. She pulled her mouth away and looked him in the eyes as she undid the top button of his shirt and then the other after that.

"Elena..." Damon breathed, questioning her decision. "Are you sure?" Elena smiled and nodded. "I want to live Damon."

He stepped nearer to her and she realized this is the closest they had ever truly been. There was electricity in the air she had not yet experienced. She finished unbuttoning his shirt as he pushed her hair off her shoulders so that it flowed freely down her back.

He took off his shirt and let it fall to the floor as he leaned down nuzzling her neck, showering it with kisses and running his tongue ever so slowly along its nape. He pulled her towards him as her head fell back allowing him full access as her fingers wove their way through his hair. A soft moan escaped her lips.

Damon pushed the straps of her nightgown down, exposing her bare shoulders to him. His hands moved to the small of her back pressing her into him, he kissed her again and she felt him smile against her mouth.

She wanted him so badly, he could take her then and she would be happy. Reading her mind, Damon pulled her nightgown down and let it fall the floor. In an instant, she felt Damon grab her legs and wrap them around his waist. He guided her to the bed and crushed her body as they fell wrapped in one another's arms. His hands moved down her arms, his fingers intertwining with hers as he playfully held her hands above her head. Elena arched her back to meet him as he pressed himself against her through his jeans, all the while parting her thighs with his leg.

He kissed her again, his tongue dominating her own before moving down her body, to the nape of her neck, to her collar bone, to the space between her breasts, his mouth taking in her soft mounds, gently sucking her nipples before moving further south to graze her stomach with his lips, all the while his hands exploring her gentle curves

Elena could feel herself growing wet for him as his fingers divided her folds, stroking her sweetest spot, and finally penetrating her core. "Damon," she moaned, panting every time he drove his fingers inside of her.

"Yes, Elena?" He said looking up at her, a smirk spreading across his face. His cheeks were tinged with a hint of red. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.

In a moment she rolled on top of him, straddling his waist. His hands moved to her hips as he drove himself against her.

"I have to say that I like this view," he breathed taking in her rosy cheeks, cascading hair, and bare chest.

Elena playfully growled and pinned his strong arms above his head with her small ineffectual ones.

"You little minx, what are your plans for me? Please don't take advantage!" He teased. She jabbed him in the chest before kissing her way hotly down his stomach, stopping at his navel to dip her tongue inside it.

"Oh God, Elena." He growled. He leaned his head back as she undid the button on his jeans and quickly unzipped his pants. She scooted down and pulled them clear off his legs.

"You go commando?" She said surprised, her eyes growing wide taking in his size.

"You never know when the time may arise, Elena. How could you take advantage of me if I wasn't so easy?" She laughed out loud before tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears.

She pumped the base of his member with her hand and gently took the tip into her mouth, followed quickly by a few inches. Damon gripped the bed sheets, the sensation of her mouth was... out of this world.

Elena bobbed up and down, taking most of him, as she swirled her tongue slowly around him.

"Elena," he grunted, gently guiding his fingers into her hair. The blood vessels around his eyes grew red and he could feel his fangs begin to take a more prominent role in his mouth. He took control of himself and flipped her over in a flash.

Nothing could be heard over their panting and the sound of their singular heartbeat. His stiffness pressed against her.

"Please," She panted. "Don't make me wait anymore Damon. Take me."

He smiled "So impatient." Internally, he never knew eight solitary words could make a man so hard he practically burned. He ran his hand up her thigh and just as he wrapped her leg around him, he entered her in one swift movement. Elena gasped with pleasure as she arched her back to meet him. He stilled himself so she could adjust to accommodate him.

"No, don't stop," she ordered taking his face in her hands, kissing him. With that he thrust deeper inside, her fingers pressing into his lower back guiding him further. She was divine and before he knew it, his most primal urges took over and he picked up the pace, pressing her deeper into the bed. He buried his face in her neck. "You have no idea your effect on me," he moaned in her ear.

"Don't ever stop," she whispered back.

"I wouldn't know how with you," he said, pumping her harder. One of Elena's hands rose to his head, her fingers weaving through his hair. The other remained on his back, her nails sinking into his skin. She wrapped her legs tightly around him, meeting his thrusts, squeezing him every time he entered her. Damon gripped the headboard of her bed, causing the frame to shake.

"I'm going to come," she panted later on. Naturally, he picked up the pace and went deeper than before. "Come for me, Damon" she said raising her hips to meet him only to be plunged back onto the sheets.

He let go just after she did, slowing down to elongate their mutual pleasure. She pressed her face into his chest to muffle her cries as she came.

"Eleeennnaaaa," he cried loudly as he finally released. He fell onto her, burying his head in her neck, breathing heavily.

They held one another for a while, staring into each other's eyes, no words passed between them. They weren't necessary. She studied his face, and he hers. They learned one another's every curve and angle.

"I love you Damon Salvatore," she mouthed.

"I love you," he mouthed back.

Although, they still had much to accomplish in the fight to defeat Klaus, Elena and Damon realized that hiding their love would serve no larger purpose. That in hard times, holding on to what you love and cherishing the good was not only the most important thing but also the most courageous thing anyone could do. They would struggle and fight but their love would overcome any seemingly insurmountable obstacle.


End file.
